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TV Review: Does the Vampire Diaries Measure Up?

David Halpert — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 00:11:57 +0000

Welcome to Mystic Falls, where high school students look years older than they should, teachers get angry at students for not knowing historic facts about their town, and fog machines appear to be peppered throughout the small town, set to go off whenever anyone is left alone for too long. This is the Vampire Diaries. Last night the show’s pilot aired (on CW Network in the US and CTV in Canada) and to say that it’s a good fit for CW will please the network execs despite the show flaws.

Elena Gilbert moves to the Mystic Falls, Virginia after her parent’s are killed in a car accident the previous May (a crash in which Elena survived). She moves to her aunt’s alongside her younger brother as a new year at Mystic Falls High School hopes to bring new experiences in an attempt to distract Elena from the grief she still holds for her parents. Elena chronicles her thoughts and feelings in her diary, while her brother, Jeremy, takes the more self-destructive approach of drug-use to cope with his sadness. And in the midst of it all comes Stefan Salvator, the mystery (and handsome) new student that descends upon the high school for a reason we’re never explained in the pilot.

Now this show makes no illusions about capitalizing on the vampire trend, no doubt largely pushed forth by the Stephanie Meyers’ Twilight Series. However, while Twilight uses romance to act as the main thrust for the story, the Vampire Diaries takes the approach of what ‘could be’ with the romance, rather than ‘what is’. As expected there’s instant attraction between Stefan and Elena but it’s not the thrust of the plot, not yet anyway. There’s enough strong subplots with the supporting characters to act as gripping storyline to keep audiences tuned in. However, this is not True Blood. There are certain elements of the pilot that seem uninspired and somewhat careless.

There were times while watching this where the plot and the character’s actions don’t measure up. Case in point, Vicki, one of Elena’s friends, is attacked (bitten) after venturing alone from a late-night party, when she’s found and eventually taken away in an ambulance for treatment, what do her other friends do. Visit her at the hospital? Talk about what just happened? Instead they go to the local café where her friends act as if nothing happened and one even berates herself for failing to attract Stefan Salvatore earlier at the party. The downfall of this show will likely be Ian Somerhalder’s character of Damon Salvatore, Stefan’s older brother, who seems utterly hell-bent on possessing Elena. At one point he steals Stefan’s silver ring during a fight and utters, “You know what happens when daylight hits and you don’t wear that ring. Poof!” Could you be more subtle? There’s little suspense in this scene, partly because the character seems flat by comparison to the others, perhaps if it was introduced earlier in the episode and given a chance to be fleshed out more it would have made a difference.

Putting that incident aside for a moment, the show has excellent casting and the dialogue is actually what you’d expect from the young adult series that the show was based upon. What was absolutely priceless was every time a vampire was about to appear, and the lone character was literally blasted with fog machines to the point where it literally sucked all of the suspense and drama out of the scenes. They were completely unnecessary and if you’re going to use something as rudimentary as fog be sure to invest in some decent SFX when you do.

It’s difficult to write a review based on a single pilot but sufficed to say it will be interesting to see where this show takes off from here and I will definitely tune in next week to see where it goes.

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Flashforward Sneak Peek Released

David Halpert — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 23:46:55 +0000

With a new television season looming on the horizon, one of the most anticipated shows to be watched this fall is ABC’s Flashforward, set to debut on September 24, 2009 at 8/7 Central.

For those that don’t already know the premise, I’ll try to distil it as best I can. One day a global event causes everyone on Earth to lose consciousness for 2 minutes and 17 seconds. During that time people see themselves six months in the future (if they’re not already sleeping or die during the vision). Flashforward centers around a group of individuals in modern-day Los Angelas as each come to terms with the aftermath.

The show is based off the 1999 novel of the same name by Toronto-author Robert J. Sawyer (who I’ve had the fortunate pleasure of meeting on several occasions, most recently at Worldcon in Montreal). And while it’s uncertain how well Americans knew Sawyer’s work prior to his book being made into a television series, his already stellar reputation shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

To coincide with the release of the show, Tor Books recently released new editions of the book with a new cover (incorporating the series logo) which is available in mass market paperback and trade papberback format (image right). Below is a sneak preview from the ABC pilot set to debut on September 24th.

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Click Here to View the Works of Robert J. Sawyer on Ebay

Eureka Renewed for a 4th Season

David Halpert — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 23:27:34 +0000

Fans of the popular Syfy original Eureka will be happy to know that the show has been green-lit for a fourth season for 22 episodes, which will likely to air next summer. The original announcement came in late July at last month’s ComicCon in San Diego.

The announcements included some intriguing news items:
• One or two episodes of the new season have been set aside for a musical episode. We know Colin Ferguson is a comic and improv performer, but can he sing? Ferguson hinted to the panel that he might not feature heavily in that episode. Erica Cerra (Jo Lupo) can, but she seems likewise wary of a musical episode.
• Matt Frewer will return as the (mysteriously absent) animal expert Taggart.
• Show runner Jaime Paglia confirmed that Allison’s pregnancy wasn’t planned – they decided to incorporate Salli Richardson-Whitfield’s real-life pregnancy.

Actress Erica Cerra, who plays Deputy Jo Lupo, was happy that the show will continue for a fourth year.

“We were thrilled, and more so that it’s 22 episodes,” Cerra said. “Last year they made an attempt to do 21, I believe it was, and we got cut down to 18 because of the writers’ strike. So we’re thrilled, and the way we found out was so much fun, getting word before the end of the season. You’re usually waiting until much later [to get word of renewal or cancellation]. I love working on this show, and we have a really great cast and crew, and we’ve got a good thing going. It’s nice.”

Click Here to View Eureka Products on Amazon
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Stargate Universe Trailer Released in Theaters

David Halpert — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 23:17:38 +0000

For those of you that had the fortunate pleasure of seeing either Halloween II or Final Destination 4 this weekend, you would have noticed a new trailer for Stargate Universe just before the film. For those of you that have no idea what I’m talking about let me just say that Stargate Universe is the third-installment of the Stargate television franchise (after Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis).

Stargate Universe follows the adventures of a present-day, multinational exploration team on board the Ancient spaceship Destiny. Transported to Destiny in a distant corner of the universe and unable to return to Earth, members of the team are forced to remain on the vessel and fend for themselves.

While this is the show in a nutshell many have already drawn comparisons to the show Battlestar Galactica. Nevertheless, I look forward to watching it as the show remains one of the most anticipated series to air this fall, especially for fans of the Syfy channel.

Despite not being able to get my hands on the actual movie trailer, I’m able to provide you with the recently released extended trailer for the show. I hope it is to your liking. Enjoy!

Star Trek Invades SPACE September 5 – 7

David Halpert — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 00:19:50 +0000

It’s a galactic invasion when the U.S.S. Enterprise leads a three-day, trek-tastic takeover on SPACE with the Star Trek Movie Marathon. The assault begins with all six Captain Kirk films on Saturday, Sept. 5. Continuing into Sunday, Sept. 6, SPACE beams up Captain Picard and the Next Generation films. Then, on Monday, Sept. 7, the countdown begins at 12 noon ET, with the Top 10 favourite episodes of Star Trek: The Original Series as chosen by SPACE viewers at spacecast.com. The episodes have all been digitally remastered, and viewers can vote for their faves until Thursday, Sept. 3. The final surge is the Canadian premiere of the pilot that started everything: Star Trek: The Cage, airing Monday, Sept. 7 at 10 p.m. ET.

Saturday September 5
11 a.m. ET – Star Trek: The Motion Picture
1:50 p.m. ET – Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
4:15 p.m. ET – Star Trek III: The Search for Spock
6:35 p.m. ET – Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
9:10 p.m. ET – Star Trek V: The Final Frontier
11:30 p.m. ET – Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country

Sunday, September 6
4:40 p.m. ET – Star Trek: Generations
7:15 p.m. ET – Star Trek: First Contact
9:35 p.m. ET – Star Trek: Insurrection
11:45 p.m. ET – Star Trek: Nemesis

Monday, September 7
12 p.m. ET – VIEWER’S CHOICE #10
1 p.m. ET – VIEWER’S CHOICE #9
2 p.m. ET – VIEWER’S CHOICE #8
3 p.m. ET – VIEWER’S CHOICE #7
4 p.m. ET – VIEWER’S CHOICE #6
5 p.m. ET – VIEWER’S CHOICE #5
6 p.m. ET – VIEWER’S CHOICE #4
7 p.m. ET – VIEWER’S CHOICE #3
8 p.m. ET – VIEWER’S CHOICE #2
9 p.m. ET – VIEWER’S CHOICE #1
10 p.m. ET – STAR TREK: THE CAGE

SPACE is Canada’s national science fiction, speculation and fantasy channel. Offering the finest in genre programming, viewers need not look further for their fix of the paranormal, edgy, scary, creepy and fun! SPACE is the station for all those who dare to challenge their imagination. SPACE is owned by CTV Limited, a division of CTVglobemedia, Canada’s premier multi-media company. Visit the SPACE website at www.spacecast.com.

Gemini Nominations Announced

David Halpert — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 23:18:32 +0000

Just wanted to do a quick post congratulating all of the science fiction television shows nominated for this year’s Gemini Award. As much American television is filmed in what many dub “Hollywood North” (Battlestar Galactica is a testament to this as much of Caprica City looks a lot like downtown Vancouver) it is no surprise that Canada has a heavy hand in much of the television that airs in the States.

For those that don’t know the Gemini Awards are the annual television broadcasting industry awards in Canada, basically the equivalent to the Emmy Awards in the U.S. First awarded in 1986, the Geminis celebrate the achievements of TV members of the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television. Essentially, it presents awards for the best television productions in Canada.

Sci-fi Watch would like to congratulate the following nominations that made this year’s ballot:

Rabbit’s Fall
Best Performance by an Actress in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role, Andrea Menard

Stargate Atlantis
Best Writing in a Dramatic Series, Brad Wright, The Shrine
Best Costume Design, Valerie Halverson, The Queen
Best Achievement in Make-Up, Vegas
Best Visual Effects, Enemy At The Gate, First Contact

Sanctuary
Best Direction in a Dramatic Series, Steven Adelson, Instinct & Sanctuary for All (Part 1)
Best Visual Effects, Sanctuary, The Five
Best Performance by an Actor in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role, Robin Dunne, Requiem
Best Performance by an Actress in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role, Amanda Tapping, Requiem
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Supporting Role in a Dramatic Series,
Christopher Heyerdahl, The Five / Revelations P2

Heroes Season 4 Preview

David Halpert — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 00:12:23 +0000

The finale of last season’s Heroes I think I can safely say left more than a few fans disappointed, with an endless amount plot-holes and more than a few storylines than were left unresolved. Without revealing any of the sordid details for those that haven’t seen it yet, while the second half of the third season made up for the formal part with stronger characters, plots that were straightforward as opposed to haphazard, and a downplay of action while at the same time amping up the drama, many were let down with the season’s finale.

Nevertheless, for those of us (myself included) still massively addicted to this show, despite its shortcomings, who can’t wait for the season four (Volume five) premiere of ‘Redemption’ on September 21 on NBC, here’s a five-minute preview of the upcoming season that in my opinion reveals far more than it has to.

Click Here to View Heroes Products on Amazon
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What’s the Deal with “Defying Gravity”?

David Halpert — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 23:39:47 +0000

What do you get when you mix Grey’s Anatomy with something akin to Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey? You’d most likely end up with the newest Canadian drama/space travel television series—being Canadian I couldn’t make this stuff up if I tried—set to premiere on ABC (CTV in Canada) on August 2 in a two-hour premiere event. The story follows eight astronauts, four women and four men, from five countries on a six-year mission through the solar system.

Ron Livingston, best known for his role as Petter Gibbins in Office Space, will play the lead role/astronaut named Maddux. Not much else is known about the series other than what can be discerned from a brief one-minute trailer released this week. Currently, 13 episodes are ordered by the network. Viewers having watched the trailer will not doubt see the similarities between “Defying Gravity” and the recently aired pilot of Ron Moore’s “Virtuality”, which still hasn’t been picked up for a series yet.

Whenever you have a television show with a set number of characters isolated in closed quarters I tend to worry where the series can go before plotlines become stale, clichéd and turn into one giant mess. Nevertheless, whenever “Defying Gravity” does set to air you can be sure I will be tuning in for the premiere.

Saturn Winners Announced

David Halpert — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 23:33:25 +0000

On June 25, 2009 the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Horror Films held its 35th annual Saturn Awards.

It was a stellar evening for “The Dark Knight” as the Christopher Nolan film garnered five Saturn Awards at the 35th Annual Saturn Awards. The film was named Best Action/Adventure/Thriller Film. The Warner Bros. release also received awards for Best Writing: Christopher Nolan & Jonathan Nolan, Best Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, Best Music: Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard, and Best Special Effects. Also receiving multiple Saturn Awards were “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” and “Iron Man” which won three Saturn Awards apiece.

“Battlestar Galactica” proved to be the most decorated series of the evening with three Saturn Awards including Best Syndicated/Cable Television Series, Best Actor on Television: Edward James Olmos, and Best Actress on Television: Mary McDonnell. “Lost” received the Saturn Award for Best Network Series. Show co-creator, J.J. Abrams accepted the award on stage.

The highlight of the awards ceremony was the special awards presented throughout the evening. Actor Lance Henriksen received the Life Career Award for his strong body of work in film and television. Actor Ed Harris presented the award to Henriksen on stage.

DreamWorks Animation studio head, Jeffrey Katzenberg, was awarded the inaugural Visionary Award for his efforts in advancing 3D film presentation. Top filmmaker Jerry Bruckheimer presented this prestigious award to Mr. Katzenberg at the event.

Genre icon Leonard Nimoy was presented the Lifetime Achievement Award for his work in film and television which covers five decades. Mostly known for his portrayal of the Vulcan, Mr. Spock, Leonard’s accomplishment extend to many more projects including the series, Mission Impossible, Columbo, and the recent show, Fringe. Presenting the award was top filmmaker J.J. Abrams, who recently directed the hit film, Star Trek, for Paramount Pictures.

Many genre leaders were in attendance including: Michael Emerson and Mark Pellegrino (from Lost), Zachary Levi, Justin Hartley, Kevin Feige, Jack Coleman, Cristine Rose and Adrian Pasdar (from Heroes), Scott Porter, Ann Robinson, Sean Faris, Carlos Bernard (24), Kristin Bell, Andrea Roth, Casper Van Dien, Kevin Sorbo, Jim Parsons & Simon Helberg (from The Big Bang Theory), Larry Cohen, Frank Darabont, Greg Cannom, Michael Biehn, Jennifer Carpenter, Dean Devlin, Edward James Olmos, Tom DeSanto, Vince Gilligan, Aaron Paul (from Breaking Bad), James Newton Howard, and Hans Zimmer. This year’s reception was hosted by Entertainment Weekly. The Afterparty was sponsored by Highlander Films.

The 35th Annual Saturn Awards were presented by The Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films, a non-profit organization created in 1972 to honor, recognize and promote genre entertainment. The Academy was founded by noted film historian, Dr. Donald A. Reed, who passed away in 2001. Robert Holguin currently serves as President of the Academy. Mark Altman is Co-President of the Saturn Awards.

Upcoming Science Fiction Conventions

David Halpert — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 23:36:16 +0000

Just wanted to apprise my readers that if you live in the Southern-Ontario region or eastern United States there are a number of conventions set to take place in the coming weeks so be sure to mark your calendars. If I’ve missed any don’t hesitate to email me or write a comment on this post.

Polaris 23 takes place in Toronto on July 10-12. The convention has a focus on media guests from science fiction and fantasy movies and television series such as Star Trek, Babylon 5, Stargate, Doctor Who, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Jericho, Lost and Battlestar Galactica.

Readercon 20 take place in Boston, Massachusetts on July 9-12, 2009 at the Burlington Marriott and costs $50 to register if you do so by June 30. In the course of its twenty years, it has become the standard bearer and role model for conventions that focus on the literature. A typical Readercon features well over 100 writers, editors, and critics (attracting prominent figures from Canada, the U.K., and occasionally even Australia) and more than 400 of their readers. This year’s Guests of Honor include Elizabeth Hand and Greer Gilman.

Fan Expo 2009 is set to take place in Toronto from August 28-30^th. This year’s annual convention held in Toronto is going to be bigger than ever with such special guests as Leonard Nimoy, Linda Hamilton, Bruce Campbell, Lou Ferrigo, and many more.

Otakuthon 2009 is Quebec’s only anime festival promoting Japanese animation, Japanese graphic novels , related gaming and Japanese pop-culture. It is held annually for 2 days in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is a non-profit, fan-run anime convention that was initiated by Concordia University’s anime club, named “Otaku Anime of Concordia University”. Otakuthon strives to be a bilingual (French and English) event, having programming, the masquerade, and the program book in both official languages. The first edition of Otakuthon was held in 2006 in mid June, but later moved to early August / late July from 2007 onward.